Thursday, October 8, 2009

Against terrorism "police action" is just not going to cut it - what works is "decapitation". Israel has always understood it and US has recently learned it as revealed by the statistics at

Wonder when India will learn this lesson w.r.t both Maoists and Islamists?

No Credit Where Credit Is Due

For political, diplomatic and anti-Semitic reasons, it's not likely that the Israelis will get the credit they deserve for the defeat of Islamic terrorist groups throughout the world. But it was Israeli concepts and tactics that helped bring Iraq IED (roadside bomb) casualties down from a high of 84 a month in May of 2007, to a low of 9 in May of 2008.

Islamic nations tend to credit the United States (if they credit any foreigners at all) for these successful tactics. But it was Israel that pioneered this approach, and made it clear that it worked, and how.

What the terrorists really want is to avoid any more of the Israeli tactics that shut down their terrorist operations. This included going after terrorist leaders and technical specialists, and either capturing or (failing that) killing them. Raids and air attacks were made against buildings used by the terrorists, and tight security on Israelis borders were instituted. This last measure crushed the Palestinian economy, which put popular pressure on the terrorists to stop their attacks, and promise to keep it that way.

The Israelis also set up an increasingly effective intelligence system inside Palestinian territories. What the Israelis basically did was "take the war to the enemy." This is an application of the old maxim, "the best defense is a good offense." This particular war is still going on, but the Israelis only adopted their winning tactics in 2003 and two years later the terrorists were rendered largely ineffective.

In Rotterdam, where cultural and social divides are apparent, the burden of bridging them now belongs to Morocco-born Ahmed Aboutaleb. How he fares could matter beyond his city's borders.

Morocco-born Ahmed Aboutaleb is installed as mayor of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, early this year. His nomination to the largely ceremonial post surprised even seasoned observers.

The conservative and liberal, religious and secular, Dutch and foreign stand side by side here in Rotterdam, in a contrasting and at times uneasy coexistence where social and cultural middle ground can be elusive.

The job of finding that middle ground has now fallen onto the shoulders of a thoughtful Moroccan-born Muslim who arrived in Rotterdam just nine months ago. His address: the mayor's office.

Ahmed Aboutaleb is the first Muslim immigrant to lead a major Dutch city. The son of an imam, he was appointed mayor of Rotterdam late last year and in January became the official face of the Netherlands' second-largest city.

This is, after all, a city where the national clash over immigration and integration, particularly of Muslims, has been at its most volatile.

In 2002, Pim Fortuyn, a populist and openly gay politician who slammed Islam as a "backward" religion, was fatally shot by a white assassin claiming to act in support of the Muslim community.

How the 48-year-old Aboutaleb fares as mayor could well have an effect beyond Rotterdam's borders. With ethnic minorities accounting for almost half its population, the city serves in many ways as a laboratory of demographic change for the rest of the Netherlands, and potentially other parts of Europe.

Right-wing politicians demanded that Aboutaleb demonstrate his loyalty by giving up his Moroccan passport (he holds dual nationality). Geert Wilders, the country's most inflammatory public figure, declared that Aboutaleb's appointment was "as ridiculous as appointing a Dutchman as mayor of Mecca."

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, the phalanx of the national flag receives inspection in a parade in Beijing of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of China on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009.

Participants take part during National Day celebrations in Beijing on October 1, 2009

In this aerial photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, participants take part in a parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009.

Army cadets march in the parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in central Beijing, on Thursday Oct. 1, 2009

Soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) ground force march in formation past Tiananmen Square during a massive parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing October 1, 2009

Chinese President Hu Jintao reviews the military personnel during the National Day parade in Beijing on October 1, 2009

PLA sailors in white uniforms march past Tiananmen Square during the celebration of China's 60th anniversary on October 1, 2009 in Beijing, China.

Dancers from the National Ballet of China performs the "Red Detachment of Women" ballet at the Tanggu Great Theater, part of the celebration of China's 60th anniversary, in Tianjin, September 26, 2009. The "Red Detachment of Women" is a full-length Chinese ballet depicting a peasant woman's journey into the PLA, combining Western dance style with Chinese cultural elements

A banquet is held marking China's 60th anniversary on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.

It will be Kadapa no more. A government notification was issued on Monday, as expected, to rename the district as ‘Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy district’.

Analysts averred that Kadapa should be renamed as “YS Rajasekhara Reddy Kadapa” district. “Kadapa is a corruption of Gadapa, meaning the place where your feet falls before you reach the Lord’s abode (Tirumala). If you remove Kadapa, this historical significance will be lost,” an analyst said.

Art Galleries in Ahmedabad are going to sell Anti-Hindu painter M F Husain's paintings on the basis of EMIs (Monthly Installment). Hindus should protest against it and they should prevent Art Galleries from selling Husain's paintings.

“Thousands of young children in the age group of 10-16 years are being trained in classes run by Talibanis where they are taught that non-Islamic countries are to be attacked and Islamic rule has to be established, non-Muslims are to be killed without showing them any mercy. If they die in religious war, they will go to heaven. This has been going for the past 30 years. Hindus are, however, busy in celebrating their festivals, organizing competitions like carom, musical chair etc. while the others are getting ready to kill children and other people. Wake up in time and make a resolve that we will fight as Hindus, die as Hindus and rule as only Hindus. Get ready to fight the dangers.” The above appeal was made in his ‘keertan’ by Mr. Charudatta Aphale, a keertankar known all over the country.

Govt. is deliberately spreading venom against revolutionaries

“Through the curriculum devised by NCERT, it is being taught that revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Swatantryaveer Savarkar were terrorists; are we then to call those who attack this country as revolutionaries? The Government is deliberately spreading venom by depicting revolutionaries as terrorists,” criticized Mr. Aphale.

Recently a very clumsy attempt was made to downgrade the Gita during an interactive discourse organized by Times of India on a quixotic topic, ‘Jihad in the Gita and the Quran’. The title of the debate implied that the doctrine of jihad has been preached both in the Gita and the Quran – something totally false and highly offensive to Hindu ethos. The participants were Maulana Wahiduddin and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, while the well known columnist, Narayani Ganesh, acted as moderator.

The first ever Hinduism Summit (Hindu Dharma Sabha) in the NJ-NY-PA tristate area will be held by the Forum for Hindu Awakening (FHA) and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), with support from noteworthy Hindu and spiritual organizations. The Hinduism Summit will be held on Kartik Shukla Shashthi 5111 (24 October 2009) at the Marathi Vishwa Community Center in NJ, USA.

The Hinduism Summit aims to bring together Hindu leaders across the NJ-NY-PA tristate area to foster education about Hinduism. This Hindu Dharma Sabha follows the success of a recent similar Dharma Sabha in Virginia, USA, held by FHA, and over 100 such Dharma Sabhas held all over India by HJS.

In an unprecedented move, Australia's Victorian state will this year light up major installations including its parliament, airport and Indian consulate during Diwali, apparently to placate the feelings of Indians angry over a spate of attacks against them.

Under a seven-day long lighting competition being organised by Celebrate India Inc and beginning from October 10, prime buildings in Melbourne will be lit up, event coordinator of the organisation Arun Sharma said.